HOMEGROWN
TUESDAY March 26, 2019 Morris Herald-News
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From humble beginnings, Simotes Motor Sales serves its community BY ALLISON SELK Shaw Media correspondent Simotes Motor Sales and Service, located on Ridge Road near I-80, has come a long way since it’s humble beginnings in an old abandoned gas station with 10 cars on the lot. “I quit teaching and was broke, I opened a business with nothing, it was a lot of hard work, 12 hours a day sometimes six to seven days a week, I was a one man band,” Larry Simotes, founder said. Larry said his work ethic came from his parents who worked hard to raise their family, and claims he and his siblings were not the easiest kids to raise. Larry and his wife Lisa raised their children in Minooka and two of their children, Grant and Mac now run the business their father started in 1986. In 2018, the building Larry built in 1995 was renovated to create more office space and a bigger waiting area for sales and the service department. Grant began in the family business after he returned from college in 2011, Mac in 2015. Grant said over the past several years, the company has strived to carry newer cars especially ones that still have a factory warranty remaining. “We know the risks of selling vehicles that have higher miles, so we try to sell as few as possible while also understanding that many people have a certain budget they would like to stay at,” Grant said. “We moved to the warranty cars because no matter how well of an inspection we do, a vehicle over 100,000 miles anytime – a week or year later – something could happen.” Grant said the number one philosophy of Simotes Motor Sales and Service has been to
Photo provided
Grant Simotes (left) and Mac Simotes find the nicest and lowest mileage car, price it right to give people the best value. With most customers being local, the Simotes family said they want to take care of those in the community in which they live. When Larry began this venture, he was a teacher and not in the car business, but he did buy, fix up cars and sell when he was in college in order to pay his bills. He said he loved cars and wanted to create a
family business to pass down generations. His 10 vehicles on an old lot have now grown to 130 vehicles on the Ridge Road lot, and customers can shop in person or online. “We try to have one of every one of the most common cars. We have sport utility vehicles, trucks and cars-a few in the $5,000 range all of the way up to $40,000 because we like to offer variety,” Grant said. Mac said the Simotes Motor Sales and Service staff aims to
uphold a no pressure method of selling cars which makes the sales less stressful for the customer. “At the end of the day, we want to sell the best vehicle we can,” Mac said. The service department onsite offers customers a service beyond just selling the car. Grant said they employ three mechanics, each with a specialty niche such as diesel, new cars and old vehicles. The service department has grown
as the dealership flourished and it services vehicles sold on and off site. As for financing a vehicle, Grant said the dealership has a great relationship with three credit unions and larger banks in order to get customers the lowest rates possible. He said those with low or no credit can also feel confident they will receive the same hard work to find reasonable financing. The Simotes family and the business has been engrained in
the Minooka area for decades. Larry coached baseball at Minooka Junior High School for 18 years, donates to the Minooka High School Scholarship fund for athletes, and this year he donated 700 copies of his book “Two Strikes and Not Out,” to MCHS, Grant said. “We always want to take care of people all we can. We do our best to help out all we can and our kids are now there taking care of people,” Larry said.
M-Thurs 8am-7pm Friday 8am-6pm Saturday 8am-3pm
Family owned and operated for 33 years • Rates as Low as 2.49% • Over 120 vehicles • Quick credit approval available 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
2018 Dodge Grand Caravan SE Plus
Stock #146968 10,733 Miles
Stock #200979 36,765 Miles
Orig. MSRP $45,785
Our Price
Orig. MSRP $31,500
Our Price
$29,995
2018 Buick Encore Preferred
2017 Fiat 500 Trekking
Orig. MSRP $25,635
Orig. MSRP $25,680
$18,560
$13,595
$16,995
Stock #039625 15,922 Miles
Stock #564911 2,364 miles
Our Price
Our Price
Low Mile, Pre-Driven Vehicles 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Color: Black / Gray Stock #: 007476 4,779 Miles
$16,960
2016 Ford F-350 Super Duty XLT
$40,516
$6,616
2007 Lincoln MKZ Base
$7,516
2006 Kia Sorento EX
$7,500
Color: Magnetic Gray / Charcoal Stock #: 605759 58,841 Miles
2015 Chrysler 300 S
$19,916
2017 Jeep Patriot High Altitude
$15,316
2014 Dodge Dart GT
$11,616
2017 Jeep Compass High Altitude
$15,516
2014 Volkswagen Jetta S
Color: True Blue Pearl Coat / Dark Slate Gray Stock #: 130383 Only 29,633 Miles
2009 Nissan Sentra 2.0
Color: Magnetic Gray Metallic / Ash Stock #: 338870 53,124 Miles
$15,960
Color: Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat / Dark Slate Gray Stock #: 187812 22,280 Miles
$9,700
4WD DIESEL!
2018 Chevrolet Sonic Premier
Color: Summit White with Jet Black Stock #: 111947 10,994 Miles
2010 Toyota Corolla LE
Color: Race Red / Steel Gray Stock #: B83153 55,419 Miles
Color: Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat / Black Stock #: 927145 Only 29,328 Miles
Color: Maximum Steel Metallic Clear Coat / Black Stock #: 767498 43,242 Miles
Color: Tornado Red / Titan Black Stock #: 210132 35,195 Miles
$8,916
Color: Dune Pearl Clearcoat Metallic / Dark Charcoal Stock #: 666859 76,719 Miles
Color: Sand Beige/Stone Beige Cladding / Beige Stock #: 550887 69,739 Miles
300 N. Ridge Rd Minooka, IL. Sales: 815-467-4630 Service: 815-666-9724 SM-CL1639839
simotesmotorsales.com